The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Oludaisi Elemide has called on necessary government agencies to ensure a holistic implementation of the State Anti-open Grazing Law, with a view to controlling the movement of cattle across the State.
The Daily Crucible reports that in a bid to tackle yearly clashes between herders and farmers in Ogun State with the attendant loss of lives, destruction to farm crops and even herds, the State House of Assembly in 2021 passed the Animal Grazing Regulation and Cattle Ranch Establishment Law, 2020 into law.and was subsequently passed into law in September of the same year by Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Part of the law prescribed a jail term of not less than three years without the option of fine including the forfeiture of the herds of cattle or livestock under his/her control to the State Government for anyone who rears, herds or grazes any livestock in any part of the State except within the permitted ranches or anyone who rears cattle or livestock outside the permitted ranches after the commencement of the law.
The law is titled “HB No. 045/OG/2021- A Law to Regulate Animal Grazing, Establishment of Cattle Ranches in Designated Grazing Areas of Ogun State and for other Matters incidental thereto and connected therewith.”
Despite the presence of the law in the last three years, open grazing of cattle and other animals is a common sight on roads, in the streets and many neighborhoods in Ogun State.
But speaking during plenary on Thursday, June 27, while recounting on the report he received the previous day that some herders were moving cattle on the major road in the State, Elemide urged relevant government agencies to arrest the
Obsolete animal rearing practice by enforcing the state anti – open grazing law.
He noted that the full implementation of the law would bring about sanity and enhance safety of the motoring public, saying that the attitude herders was against the existing law.
Also, the Speaker while reacting to the menace of land grabbers terrorising some residents of the State as reported by a member representing Ewekoro State Constituency, Hon. Yusuf Amosun, Elemide urged the people to approach the court of competent jurisdiction on matters relating to land grabbing and forceful evasion of landed property for redress.
He noted that it was high time everyone saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the Anti-land Grabbing Law braced up and ensured sanity in land administration in order to avoid unlawful exploitation of the people and possible breakdown of laws and order.
